Circle_of_Fifths

[color="#000080"][font="Comic Sans MS"]The only time I get noise from any of my basses - even the SR500, is when I am too close to my PC tower. I get a sharp hum that is only there in the last foot distance from the tower. I have a MiM Deluxe and a VM-Jazz and a VM-Jag and none of them are inherently noisy. Even my old Squier P is quiet - so I don't 'get' this point that they are noisy at all. I also have a 1982 Fender Strat guitar and it IS noisy - if you have a pacemaker, it'll pick it up too. And speaking of mods - I just broke a golden rule and added something to my VM-Jag:: Can anyone tell what it is? [/font][/color] Since it's neither a J nor a P, I guess I can have this license.

[quote name='Jacqueslemac' post='1116657' date='Feb 5 2011, 08:09 AM']Some useful comments here, thanks. I have the money ready for a nice red Fender Jaguar, but where's one I can buy? I trawled three of Norwich's guitar shops today and none of them have the VM Jag or the VM Jag Special for me to look at. Two of them are happy to order them in, but I have to pay a deposit first. In other words I have to buy before I try! (Mind you, both were cheaper than I could find on the 'net, which is nice, as I'd rather support my local dealers.) On reflection, I reckon my Corvette $$ gives me the full range of sounds (or even the Variax, come to that) for recoding. I do confess to being a bit of a brand snob, but my experience has taught me that I'm not likely to use all the options (once I've spent a while fiddling to find the tone I like), so paying £200 for the Fender sticker and lots of sounds I won't use, is probably not money well spent. So, it's primarily down to looks. And in that case, there's no contest. The VM Jaguar in black with block markers and a matching black headstock wins hands down for me. Unless anyone knows if Squier is about to launch a red version?[/quote] There are some amazing VM-Jaguars in the works. The colors will slay you. With humbuckers and Active and a lot cheaper than the VMs to date

I find the Fender Jaguar to be thready - weak and generally just another Jazz bass with less output, too many switches and lots of confusion. Some like them - I don't really. I own a Squier VM-Jaguar, and it's a P/J configuration, and as such it fits so well in almost any venue and playing style that I'm now very much in love with a Reggie Hamilton - but it's not in the stores here in the US except as the Skunk Works version for mucho money. The VM-Jag is light - 8lbs, 1/2" longer than any of my other Fenders, but feels smaller. No head dive at all. The Jazz neck is fast and sweet - and the finish is so deep you can sink a finger into it to the first knuckle. [i][size=3]The p'ups are very hot! [/size][color="#FFA500"][size=4]Believe me they[/size][/color] [color="#FF8C00"][size=5]are wickedly[/size][/color] [color="#FF0000"][size=6]hot![/size][/color] [/i] All in all - the VM jag will do things the Fender Jag may not be suited to do. Clarity, power, tone and a smoking voice all add up to a great bass for yards (meters) less than the Fender Jag-version. That's how I feel anyway.

[quote name='Soloshchenko' post='1110529' date='Jan 31 2011, 06:13 PM']I really don't get why Fender still piss about putting these things on. Hands up who still plays this way? Me neither, but I do have 2 screw holes in my CV Precision scratchplate that annoy me a little bit and the knowledge that a standard Fender replacement scratchplate probably won't fit. I know it's a small thing but what is the point in the first place?[/quote] I put the covers ON my VM-Jazz. I thought the guards would be a problem, but they aren't. The tug bar is great, and as I'm olde school, I like the retro-feel and playability. I added a 1962 Fender Jazz 13-hole pickguard to it with all the holes, even a hole right in front of the neck p'up that was originally used to keep the tort from curling up on the original basses. Notice that I used a '62 PG and it fits well. Also the PG from my 2010 Deluxe MiM Jazz fits too. They all fit with a few minor adjustments at the VEE-area where the PG and the chrome control panel meet. The covers make me a much better player too - try it and you'll find out why.

[quote name='tauzero' post='1102249' date='Jan 25 2011, 07:34 AM']Although eventually you may run out of fence.[/quote] It's actually THE LEASH and running out of it, that is the biggest problem. Follow me here, Gov?

[quote name='lee650' post='1101112' date='Jan 24 2011, 09:48 AM']I still love this, but i dont have enough basses to justify it [/quote] THAT can be cured very easily. Just think of it this way: NOBODY has enough basses.

[quote name='leroybasslines' post='1100418' date='Jan 24 2011, 12:21 AM']Bu,t going back to storage, I need a little reassurance -[b] is it ok to hang basses on wall hangers for prolonged periods?[/b] I know they're exposed to the elements and this can have a negative effect on hardware etc. - that doesn't bother me so much - but can hanging a bass have a detrimental effect on the instrument's neck or the finish around the headstock? I hope not! We're currently in the process of adopting kids and the cold, harsh reality of not being able to leave lovely basses on chairs ready to go whenever the muse descends upon me is slowly kicking in. Any tips from those that parent boisterous kids while guarding precious basses would be greatly appreciated![/quote] I have seen this debated for a few times on 'other' sites, and the general consensus is that there is no untoward problems in storing them hanging on a wall hook. The nice thing about wall mounts is that they are usually high enough for a cookie-crumbler (drape-ape; rug rat) to not be able to grab them as they are out of their reach. Once a child gets to a more substantial height, they should have respect for things that are not theirs and treat your gear as such. My kids never caused me any grief - none of the five of them, instrument-wise, although there were other things they destroyed with elan.

I won't use a gig bag as they don't prevent bending a neck. I have one I keep in my car just in case I am buying a bass and need to bring it home on the spur of the moment. All my basses have their own hard cases and they all live on the wall hangers since we get a lot of earthquakes here and stands are not safe at all. So far the hangers have withstood a 5.7 and the basses just sway a lot. Where I live is supposed to get a really big EQ soon from the San Jacinto Fault, one that will set off the San Andreas fault that will gobble up LA and the southern beach cities in liquefaction when it hits, so I can't trust many things to keep my gear safe in a house or any other sort of building. The amps, on the other hand! Uh!

[quote name='lettsguitars' post='1087527' date='Jan 12 2011, 08:23 PM']you're all staring at the floor. stand up straight young man.[/quote] They're attempting to remain anonymous since they are obviously illegally using milk crates under their gear and that's a crime punishable by imprisonment or death like it is here in the US.

[quote name='icastle' post='1093471' date='Jan 18 2011, 12:58 AM']Good for bass but the OP is only looking to use it on an acoustic guitar... [/quote] Oh - I understood that part, but I wanted to tell him that the MXR80 isn't limited to just one instrument or one type. I've used it with my harmonica, my keyboard and even run a ukulele/piezzo on it and it can really 'flesh-out' the harmonics and add considerable bottom to them where there was little bottom before. The flexibility of the MXR80 in that it has a parallel AUX-OUT and XLR/1/4", a pre-amp and DI plus three usable channels (By-pass/EQ'd/Distortion) all add to one powerful device that I feel should be the second purchase - right behind a tuner/stomp.

A big PLUS vote for the MXR Bass DI+. It works a champ for things like that and you can really use it to fatten up your bass too.

I had the opportunity to buy either a P-Deluxe or a J-Deluxe, and played them both. Not bad in any but one way for both of them - I didn't like the neck treatment on either of them and went for the Jazz Deluxe MiM instead. I cannot say that I heard any quality of sound problems or bad sonics on the MIAs, but they just had that gawd-awful neck on them, even though one was a J and the other a P. I could live with the Deluxe P if I had to, but it would be an uncomfortable marriage at best. [b]Sidebar:[/b] Today it's 29.9º C, and last week we had 4 inches of snow. No wonder I'm ill.

[quote name='waynepunkdude' post='1086021' date='Jan 11 2011, 12:26 PM']Trying to order a red HB one, anybody know where I can order on from?[/quote] Be ye careful about pre-ordering them right now. I just ran a check on a site here in the US that's listing these new Squiers at $199.99 - but they don't have any yet. They aren't even an authorized dealer for Squier nor do they fly the Authorized Squier Logo on their site. Just be advised that quite a few 'sites' that are showing these basses have ' .se ', ' ch ' or ' .ru ' URLs on them. As much as I am drooling over these too, I'm going to wait until at least GC or MF lists them as 'shippable' and not just a pre-order cash outlay.

[quote name='eude' post='1081793' date='Jan 8 2011, 12:36 AM']Well Lord High-master of Things Squier, any chance you can get Squier to do a VM Mustang or Musicmaster Bass? Pretty please?... Eude[/quote] Nah! I want to be taken seriously when I am on stage playing bass and wouldn't want Squier to go that way:: [color="#A0522D"][size=5]Different? [i]I think not.[/i][/size][/color] [color="#C0C0C0"]Just kidding. I think [/color] The VM line are pretty great as they are, and don't forget that almost on a 4-month interval they unleash something new and wonderful. I have two VMs right now and am seriously thinking of that new VM-HB in (natch!) BLACK and then with a Tort PG ------------[i]ah![/i] I'll forward your request to myself when I'm able to get my people to talk to my other people to make an appointment to talk to me. As [color="#4B0082"][i][size=5]Lord Of Squiers[/size][/i][/color], you can be assured that I shan't waste any time in considering your petition. 'WE' are amused wi'ye.

[quote name='Crazykiwi' post='1081441' date='Jan 7 2011, 11:26 AM']I'm amazed alright. Amazed at the different ways they can repackage the same basic specification.[/quote] I sense just the tiniest bit of negativity in that statement. A neck's a neck at 9.5 or 7.5 or any different rather - and it's all for the masses anyway. Not every bassist can afford nor might even might want a boutique bass and this marketing skill satisfies several levels of desires, wants and needs. If not for the consumers, then for the factories that need to keep their talent employed and the building that need to be occupied during these days of rather Apocalyptic slides into broke-ness and destitution-ness. I say 'good on 'em' for the sheer variety and marketing elan. You can be banned from Squier-Land by The Lord Of Squiers if you nay-say. You're already in Upsidedown Land! You [u]can[/u] be further banished to (shudder!) Australia!

[quote name='dave_bass5' post='1081171' date='Jan 7 2011, 07:07 AM']probably in the for sale section in a month or so [url="http://www.soundslive.co.uk/product~name~Squier-Vintage-Modified-Jaguar-Bass-Special-HB,-Black~ID~14652.asp"]Soundslive[/url][/quote] As [color="#4B0082"]Lord High-Master of Things Squier[/color] - I'd say that you can put your hand on your thigh and get a skin graft faster than these will hit the used market. And since I cannot multi-quote on this site - these HBs are new and just barely in transit-shipping to retailers yet, there really cannot be any sound samples - yet. The neck radius is 9.5 on all of them AFAIK but I cannot say anything about the thinness of the neck in a cross section. I DO know that the Jazz necks are 1.500" at the nut and 2.225" at the 12th fret, whereas the Precision is 1.675" at the nut and 2.250" at the 12th fret. I am so used to the 9.5" radius necks that I find the 7.5" neck almost unplayable to me. That smaller radius queered the deal on the Markus Miller since it feels like the neck is backwards to me. Now, sitting here on this keyboard, I'm debating if I want to go to my GC today and plop down some greenies on a new HB in red. Nah ---- prolly in black so's I can put a Tort PG on it and make it a matching full-place setting at my musical table. But then again (dang it!) I [i]DO-O-O-O[/i] love the idea of an active P/J too.

[size=4][b]Squier Does It Again! [/b][/size] [url="http://www.squierguitars.com/products/search.php?section=basses&cat=new"]http://www.squierguitars.com/products/sear...ses&cat=new[/url] Some with Active Electronics, Humbuckers and a new VM-Jag finish. Drool 'till all your vital fluids dry up! [/size][/color]

[quote name='Lozz196' post='1076892' date='Jan 3 2011, 03:30 PM']I agree with the "get the best instrument" opinion. Out of all of the Fender Precisions I`ve had/still got, the MIAs are the best of the bunch, and if someone had given them all to me without any identifying marks, I would still have picked the three I`ve kept, because they were the best players. That said however, if someone gave me a bunch of Precisions, from all over the world, I`d be able to state which ones I preferred, but in no way would I have been able to state where they were made. Probably the best Precision I`ve played (for me) that I didn`t own was a Roadworn. Fantastic bass, felt instantly at home with it, played like I`d had it for 20 years. Made in Mexico. If I`d been buying a bass that day, it would have come home with me. Where it was made would not have been a factor in buying that bass, it was great.[/quote] Right on. So far I have successfully resisted picking up and playing any sort of RW. They are just so -- er, scratched and torn up. But I also know that they are supposed to be smooth and deep-voiced and just all-around nice to play. As I mature, I may ultimately like one for myself - but as it is right now, I don't think that day's coming.

That 'quality of wood' issue is hard to justify too. That the wood(s) is/are pretty much the same is a placebo methinks. True, they may come from the same board/plank - but I've seen South American hardwoods vary so much in quality and appearance from one end of the board to the other and make quantum turns halfway through the board at the same time too. So - that being the case I suppose that the prettier woods might go into the MiAs, and perhaps some less-choice colored or swirled or grained woods might go the Mexico. Once a neck is machined and inspected, then the more artistic woods are going to go into the MiAs I bet, but that isn't saying the overall quality is any different. A pretty wood may or may not be any better tonally than a less attractive wood. Then again, there's the 'attractive' part that is qualitative too and subject to personal appreciation and general cultural pre-conceived notions of beautiful verses ugly. A burl here or there or some flame isn't a great indicator of tonality or resonance either. These interruptions in gain may also be a detriment to strength in the first place as they aren't supportive of the tensions of the strings and generally the construct of the whole instrument. So as I see it - it's all a crap-shoot for quality even if it's pretty.

On my SR500 - I check the intonation about every three months or so - but other than just curiosity I've not really had to adjust it much or after the first time. The factory setting was pretty good - but I still use Elixir Nanos on mine, so if you;'ve changed to another brand, then you might just have to bite it and get 'er done. As usual - I tend to be a little narrow-minded about things and I always adjust by tightening a screw rather than loosening it. We all tune UP to the note - right? Same with the intonation [u]only backwards[/u]: I tune DOWN to it by turning the screws tighter - only in the direction that would normally tighten the screw and lower the intonation note. I diagnose if the bass actually needs intonation first, then I [u]take it past[/u] the place where it might wind up in my estimation and slowly adjust it back to the correct point always turning the screw to the right. FWIW: I also do all my intonation fully tuned to the correct pitch on the open string and with an amp plugged into the jack through my meter at the same time. That way I can actually hear what's going on and it helps to keep things under control. HTH. Let me know.

I've been taking mental notes on what I see as an occurrence that can be rare on some bases and common on others. Mostly I see people needing to chase the adjustments on basses with either worn or removed neck coatings on the backside where your hand is. Those basses with a poly coated neck on the other hand seem to fair somewhat better and not need as much truss rod adjustment over the time one owns it. F'rinstance, my Ibanez - which has the flatted neck finish which is a fake-out as it really IS coated - has never had to be adjusted in all the two years I've had it. Only one of my Fender/Squiers ever needed an adjustment and that was when I changed to ROTO 77 strings and different tension. I like about a .003-.008" scoop in the neck and somewhat close clearance because I don't slap or really dig in too hard - so I imagine if I had necks dancing about from humidity or temperature changes, these would be the most likely ones to need constant adjustments. After initial set-up by me and intonation and such, I cannot in honesty say that I've ever had any gross adjustments to make on a seasonal basis and we DO have all four seasons here where I live. It's snowing as I write this after two weeks of solid rain after one of the driest Summers on record. For background - I live at a fairly high altitude (4,100 feet/ 1,250 Meters) and I have severe single-digit humidity most of the year. I also play in Palm Springs at sea level, again almost zero humidity - but seriously higher temps : 110ºF/43ºC and I experience no changes in the neck adjustments - none that need truss rod adjustments anyway. Then other times (sometimes the same day, hours apart) I am in either Newport Beach or San Diego playing at 60-85% humidity and temps at 70-80ºF/ 21-27ºC, and again no problems. My point is that I feel a sealed neck and body and fretboard are inherently more stable because they don't have raw wood exposed to the elements - whereas a Road Worn or Relic'd or just worn out surface will exchange temps and any bi-valence of moisture changes becomes a lot easier for that to corrupt the neck.

'Pudding --- and proof-of comes' to mind. I don't know if that's a UK cliche or not - but if the sounds's right it doesn't matter if you get it from a stick beating on a can. [quote]In fact I'm pretty well your opposite number Joe - we both like jazz basses, but for quite different reasons and clever old Fender/Squier make more than one to suit each of us cool.gif It may be down to the different styles of music we play - I only use flat wound strings and play mostly reggae.[/quote] I 'dabble' in Reggae, but haven't gone there much. Cool vocal-jazz, surf, Motown, early rock - well, heck-fire, just about anything that doesn't involve a mosh pit or cutting/tattooing myself. I wouldn't judge by your pix that you'd be a reggae player though: If I saw you one the street, the first thought in my mind would be: "That guy's NOT a reggae bass-player"

When I was in a buying mood, I tried to love the CV-Jazz. I couldn't - it was the frets and the rolled edges of the fingerboard that turned me off. The CVs seem to have the more-rolled edges that make me feel that I'm going to roll the string to the underside of the neck if I'm not careful That - coupled with the tiny frets just made it a no-go for me and I moved right over to the VM styles. I also wanted to love the Marcus Miller bass - but it has that rolled edge again and that queered the deal again. At this time I am waiting for my GC to get the Reggie Hamilton P/J in, and from all the thumbnail pixs of it I hope it has a flatter 9.5" radius fretboard and some decent-sized frets. The Fender Medium Jumbo frets are really just the standard sized, and also at the same time they are the industry standard too - as almost everything Fender does also becomes 'the standard of the industry' too. The Classic frets are 'way too short, small and they don't give a good feel to me. Now - the CVs are indeed glossy necked, but I got my matte finished VM to a glossy condition by severely waxing it to death and it's fine now. Even my SR500 is glossy now from the same process.

These 'pins' being mentioned - are the the pickup poles? If so, they are set at different heights to compensate for the natural curve that is set into the string height to match the curve of the fretboard. While it might be thought that a Deluxe-anything bass is not for a beginner - that's not really so. The broad pallet of tones and voices that can be gotten out of an Active bass are astounding and the only caveat is that some might be intimidated with all the variables - er, available. The MiM and MiA Fender Deluxe basses are machined in Corona California - just a few miles from me here, and my neighbor's son works there. Name withheld for reason of tenure. Every time 'the truck' from Mexico arrives with finished products, they load it again with machined parts from the same CNC machines that create the MiA basses, and send them to Mexico (Ensenada) to be painted and assembled. The only difference besides the fact that certain paints and finishes can be applied in Mexico that cannot here in the US - are that the necks on anything but the MiAs don't have the carbon fiber rods in the necks - big deal! The 'US Electronics' myth is just that - a myth. Since all the electronics are manufactured offshore (can you say: CHINA?) - what it obviously matters is that some p'ups say "Duncan Designed - Noiseless" and others just say "Noiseless" or some words to that effect. There are [u]some[/u] 18V units from the MiA factory, and the MiM are all (AFAIK) only 9V. Again: Big Deal! So - you pay a lot more for a Fender bass made in Corona California by aliens (Mexicans) or you buy a Fender bass made in Mexico by Mexican Citizens. Whazzat all about anyway? Same wood - same CNC machines making the same parts and pretty much the same electronics - and two vastly different price tags. The only difference is that the MiAs perhaps have more interesting/decorative wood grain and the less-pretty woods go to the MiAs, and the necks don't have rattling carbon rods in the MiMs. I wanted to buy the MiA Deluxe, but as the MiM Deluxe sounded as good and felt as good and looked as good and cost a lot less (1/3rd!) - guess which one I bought? No regrets at all. If the p'ups or electronics aren't up to snuff on a MiM, then if you buy a whole new active system it's still yards less money to get what you think you want. Believe me.

[quote name='dave_bass5' post='1071418' date='Dec 28 2010, 06:04 PM']Yes, a PJ does seem to cover wider tone spectrum. Its funny because i had my DJ5 converted to a PJ last year, as i like the tone of both, but now I realise i like the P tone, and the neck pup Jazz tone so i think im stuck with one or the other.[/quote] Out of context, your statement feels wrong - but I fully understand the chagrin of needing [u]one[/u], no: [u]two[/u], no: [u]three[/u] basses with a variety of p'ups in different positions, not counting active and/or passive. If I like the neck on that Reggie Hamilton when it becomes available at my GC in mid-January - then I think I'll have it all covered ---- until the next revelation! I gotta take all the mirrors down in the house now.